Data · Special Feature · Geopolitics

The Dollar's Share of World Reserves

How much of the world's central bank currency reserves is held in U.S. dollars, euros, yen, pounds, yuan and the rest, every quarter since 2000, from the IMF.

56.7%

of the world's foreign exchange reserves (which exclude gold) were held in U.S. dollars at the end of the second quarter of 2026: $7.49 trillion of $13.22 trillion

71.4%the dollar's highest share since 2000, in 2001 Q2; it is down 14.7 percentage points since

20.6%held in euros, the clear number two; its highest since 2000 was 24.2% in 2009 Q3

2.11%held in Chinese yuan, below its 2.85% high in 2021 Q4 (listed since 2016 Q4)

13.2%held in smaller currencies (yuan, Canadian and Australian dollars, franc and others), up from 2.5% in 2001 Q2

01Every Currency, Every Quarter

Each band is one currency's share of the world's foreign exchange reserves at the end of each quarter. Switch to dollar amounts to see the reserves themselves grow from $1.80 trillion in 2000 Q1 to $13.22 trillion.

Show

The IMF began listing the Canadian and Australian dollars in 2012 Q4 and the yuan in 2016 Q4. Before that, their holdings sit inside “Other currencies”, which is why that band narrows when they appear.

02The Dollar Against the Rest

Since 2000, the dollar's share was highest at 71.4% in 2001 Q2 and lowest, 56.5%, in 2025 Q4. It was 56.7% in 2026 Q2, against 64.0% ten years earlier. Pick a currency to set beside it.

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How currency shares changed

Between 2001 Q2 and 2026 Q2 the dollar's share fell 14.7 percentage points, and other currencies' shares rose by the same amount in total. These are changes in relative shares, not a measure of money moved from one currency to another: the amount held in dollars grew over the same period, from $1.39 trillion to $7.49 trillion.

Currency	2001 Q2	2026 Q2	Change, percentage points
U.S. dollar	71.4%	56.7%	−14.7
Euro	17.2%	20.6%	+3.4
Japanese yen	5.8%	5.0%	−0.8
British pound	3.1%	4.6%	+1.4
Smaller currencies together (yuan, Canadian and Australian dollars, franc, others)	2.5%	13.2%	+10.6

The yuan, Canadian and Australian dollars are grouped with the other small currencies here because the IMF did not list them separately in 2001 Q2.

03The Latest Quarter

World foreign exchange reserves by currency at the end of the second quarter of 2026 (June 30, 2026), with the change in each currency's share, in percentage points, over one, five and ten years.

From 2026 Q1 to 2026 Q2, total reserves went from $13.10 trillion to $13.22 trillion and the dollar's share fell 0.47 percentage points, to 56.71%. Dollar holdings were roughly flat; the biggest move in any other currency was in euro holdings, up $98 billion. The IMF said exchange-rate moves were small this quarter, within about 2% either way, so valuation effects were limited. It said the euro's gain came mostly from active purchases, and put the other shifts down to other price changes and portfolio reallocations.

Currency	Share	Amount	1 year, pct. points	5 years, pct. points	10 years, pct. points
U.S. dollar	56.71%	$7,495B	−0.2	−3.1	−7.3
Euro	20.60%	$2,723B	+0.3	+0.8	+1.1
Japanese yen	4.97%	$656B	−0.7	−0.6	+0.7
British pound	4.57%	$604B	−0.1	−0.2	−0.3
Chinese yuan	2.11%	$279B	+0.1	−0.5	–
Canadian dollar	2.47%	$327B	−0.2	+0.1	+0.4
Australian dollar	2.25%	$297B	+0.2	+0.3	+0.4
Swiss franc	0.27%	$35B	+0.1	+0.1	+0.1
Other currencies	6.06%	$801B	+0.5	+3.2	+2.8
All currencies	100%	$13,217B

A dash means the IMF did not list the currency separately at the earlier date. Amounts are in U.S. dollars at the exchange rates of the day.

04Quarter by Quarter

Quarter	USD	EUR	JPY	GBP	CNY	CAD	AUD	CHF	Other	Total
2026 Q2	56.7	20.6	5.0	4.6	2.1	2.5	2.2	0.3	6.1	$13.22T
2026 Q1	57.2	20.0	5.4	4.4	2.0	2.5	2.1	0.2	6.1	$13.10T
2025 Q4	56.5	20.4	5.8	4.4	2.0	2.5	2.0	0.2	6.2	$13.15T
2025 Q3	56.6	20.5	5.8	4.5	1.9	2.7	2.1	0.2	5.7	$13.04T
2025 Q2	56.9	20.3	5.7	4.7	2.0	2.6	2.1	0.2	5.5	$12.94T
2025 Q1	58.4	19.1	5.8	4.6	2.0	2.6	2.0	0.2	5.3	$12.50T
2024 Q4	58.4	18.9	5.6	4.6	2.1	2.8	2.0	0.2	5.3	$12.33T
2024 Q3	57.8	19.2	5.7	4.9	2.1	2.8	2.2	0.2	5.2	$12.73T
2024 Q2	58.9	18.8	5.5	4.8	2.1	2.7	2.2	0.2	4.9	$12.31T
2024 Q1	59.5	18.9	5.5	4.8	2.1	2.5	2.1	0.2	4.4	$12.35T
2023 Q4	59.0	19.2	5.4	4.8	2.3	2.5	2.1	0.2	4.4	$12.32T
2023 Q3	59.7	18.9	5.2	4.8	2.4	2.4	2.0	0.2	4.4	$11.82T
2023 Q2	59.8	18.9	5.5	4.7	2.5	2.5	1.9	0.2	4.1	$12.03T
2023 Q1	60.1	18.8	5.4	4.6	2.6	2.3	1.9	0.3	4.0	$12.00T
2022 Q4	59.0	19.7	5.4	5.0	2.6	2.5	2.2	0.2	3.3	$11.88T
2022 Q3	60.4	18.9	5.1	4.8	2.6	2.6	2.2	0.2	3.2	$11.51T
2022 Q2	60.0	19.0	5.4	4.9	2.8	2.6	2.1	0.2	3.1	$11.97T
2022 Q1	59.4	19.2	5.6	4.9	2.8	2.6	2.1	0.2	3.2	$12.51T
2021 Q4	59.4	19.8	5.5	4.9	2.9	2.4	2.0	0.2	2.9	$12.91T
2021 Q3	59.9	19.8	5.6	4.7	2.7	2.3	2.0	0.2	2.8	$12.82T
2021 Q2	59.8	19.8	5.6	4.8	2.7	2.3	2.0	0.2	2.8	$12.80T
2021 Q1	60.1	19.8	5.8	4.7	2.5	2.2	2.0	0.2	2.7	$12.57T
2020 Q4	59.5	20.6	6.0	4.8	2.3	2.1	2.0	0.2	2.5	$12.69T
2020 Q3	61.0	19.9	5.8	4.6	2.2	2.1	1.9	0.2	2.4	$12.24T
2020 Q2	61.9	19.5	5.7	4.5	2.1	2.0	1.8	0.1	2.4	$12.02T
2020 Q1	62.3	19.3	6.1	4.4	2.0	1.8	1.7	0.1	2.2	$11.69T
2019 Q4	61.3	19.8	5.8	4.7	2.0	1.9	1.8	0.1	2.5	$11.82T
2019 Q3	62.1	19.5	5.7	4.5	2.0	1.9	1.8	0.1	2.3	$11.64T
2019 Q2	61.7	19.8	5.6	4.5	2.0	1.9	1.8	0.1	2.4	$11.73T
2019 Q1	62.2	19.5	5.4	4.6	2.0	2.0	1.8	0.1	2.4	$11.60T
2018 Q4	62.1	20.0	5.1	4.5	2.0	1.8	1.7	0.1	2.6	$11.42T
2018 Q3	62.3	19.7	5.1	4.5	1.9	2.0	1.8	0.1	2.5	$11.40T
2018 Q2	62.6	19.6	4.9	4.6	1.9	1.9	1.8	0.2	2.4	$11.46T
2018 Q1	62.9	19.9	4.6	4.8	1.5	1.9	1.9	0.2	2.5	$11.60T
2017 Q4	62.7	19.8	4.8	4.7	1.2	2.1	2.0	0.2	2.5	$11.44T
2017 Q3	63.3	19.8	4.4	4.7	1.1	2.1	1.9	0.2	2.4	$11.29T
2017 Q2	63.5	19.7	4.5	4.7	1.0	2.1	1.9	0.2	2.3	$11.12T
2017 Q1	64.2	19.0	4.5	4.6	1.0	2.1	2.0	0.2	2.5	$10.90T
2016 Q4	64.7	18.9	4.0	4.7	1.0	2.1	1.9	0.2	2.6	$10.72T
2016 Q3	63.8	19.5	4.3	4.7	–	2.1	1.9	0.2	3.4	$10.99T
2016 Q2	64.0	19.5	4.2	4.9	–	2.1	1.9	0.2	3.3	$10.96T
2016 Q1	63.9	19.8	3.8	5.0	–	2.1	1.9	0.2	3.3	$10.92T
2015 Q4	64.2	19.4	3.9	5.2	–	2.1	1.8	0.3	3.2	$10.92T
2015 Q3	64.2	19.6	3.8	5.1	–	2.1	1.6	0.3	3.4	$11.18T
2015 Q2	63.5	19.7	3.9	5.1	–	2.2	1.8	0.3	3.4	$11.46T
2015 Q1	63.5	19.7	4.1	4.8	–	2.3	1.7	0.3	3.5	$11.44T
2014 Q4	62.7	20.5	4.1	4.7	–	2.3	1.8	0.3	3.7	$11.60T
2014 Q3	62.4	20.7	4.1	4.7	–	2.3	1.9	0.3	3.6	$11.77T
2014 Q2	61.3	21.6	4.2	4.7	–	2.4	1.9	0.3	3.5	$12.00T
2014 Q1	61.3	21.8	4.2	4.7	–	2.3	1.9	0.3	3.5	$11.85T
2013 Q4	61.7	21.5	4.1	4.8	–	2.3	1.9	0.3	3.4	$11.70T
2013 Q3	61.7	21.3	4.3	4.7	–	2.3	1.8	0.3	3.5	$11.46T
2013 Q2	62.0	21.1	4.3	4.6	–	2.3	1.8	0.3	3.5	$11.15T
2013 Q1	62.1	21.0	4.2	4.6	–	2.2	1.8	0.3	3.7	$11.10T
2012 Q4	61.8	21.4	4.3	4.7	–	2.1	1.7	0.3	3.6	$10.96T
2012 Q3	61.8	21.3	4.5	4.8	–	–	–	0.3	7.2	$10.81T
2012 Q2	62.2	21.9	4.2	4.6	–	–	–	0.3	6.9	$10.55T
2012 Q1	61.9	21.7	4.3	4.7	–	–	–	0.3	7.1	$10.45T
2011 Q4	62.5	21.7	4.1	4.6	–	–	–	0.2	6.8	$10.23T
2011 Q3	62.2	22.2	4.1	4.7	–	–	–	0.4	6.4	$10.19T
2011 Q2	61.6	22.9	4.1	4.8	–	–	–	0.2	6.5	$10.10T
2011 Q1	61.8	22.8	4.1	4.8	–	–	–	0.2	6.3	$9.71T
2010 Q4	61.9	22.9	4.1	4.8	–	–	–	0.2	6.0	$9.28T
2010 Q3	61.8	23.3	4.0	4.8	–	–	–	0.2	5.8	$9.01T
2010 Q2	62.6	23.0	3.8	4.9	–	–	–	0.2	5.5	$8.44T
2010 Q1	61.8	23.8	3.6	5.1	–	–	–	0.2	5.5	$8.31T
2009 Q4	62.2	24.0	3.3	5.0	–	–	–	0.2	5.2	$8.18T
2009 Q3	61.3	24.2	3.5	5.2	–	–	–	0.2	5.6	$7.89T
2009 Q2	62.4	24.1	3.5	5.1	–	–	–	0.2	4.8	$7.57T
2009 Q1	63.8	23.3	3.6	4.8	–	–	–	0.2	4.3	$7.17T
2008 Q4	62.9	23.4	4.3	4.9	–	–	–	0.2	4.3	$7.35T
2008 Q3	63.9	22.2	4.4	5.2	–	–	–	0.2	4.0	$7.50T
2008 Q2	62.7	23.3	4.4	5.3	–	–	–	0.2	4.0	$7.47T
2008 Q1	63.1	23.3	4.3	5.2	–	–	–	0.2	3.9	$7.25T
2007 Q4	62.6	23.3	4.2	5.7	–	–	–	0.2	4.0	$6.71T
2007 Q3	62.7	23.8	3.8	5.3	–	–	–	0.2	4.1	$6.30T
2007 Q2	63.4	22.9	4.0	5.5	–	–	–	0.2	4.0	$5.96T
2007 Q1	63.7	23.3	3.9	5.1	–	–	–	0.2	3.8	$5.63T
2006 Q4	63.7	22.6	4.5	5.3	–	–	–	0.2	3.7	$5.29T
2006 Q3	64.6	22.1	4.3	5.2	–	–	–	0.2	3.5	$4.99T
2006 Q2	64.1	22.5	4.4	5.2	–	–	–	0.2	3.6	$4.80T
2006 Q1	64.9	22.1	4.4	5.0	–	–	–	0.2	3.4	$4.57T
2005 Q4	64.9	21.9	4.8	4.7	–	–	–	0.2	3.5	$4.36T
2005 Q3	65.0	22.3	4.6	4.7	–	–	–	0.2	3.2	$4.20T
2005 Q2	64.7	22.7	4.7	4.7	–	–	–	0.2	3.1	$4.07T
2005 Q1	64.2	23.1	4.8	4.7	–	–	–	0.2	3.0	$3.96T
2004 Q4	63.3	23.1	5.7	4.6	–	–	–	0.2	3.1	$3.77T
2004 Q3	64.4	22.2	5.8	4.3	–	–	–	0.2	3.0	$3.47T
2004 Q2	64.9	21.8	6.1	4.1	–	–	–	0.2	3.0	$3.36T
2004 Q1	64.7	21.8	6.4	4.0	–	–	–	0.2	2.9	$3.32T
2003 Q4	63.5	23.1	6.1	3.9	–	–	–	0.2	3.1	$3.04T
2003 Q3	64.9	22.7	5.7	3.5	–	–	–	0.2	3.0	$2.85T
2003 Q2	64.7	23.1	5.5	3.5	–	–	–	0.2	3.0	$2.69T
2003 Q1	64.6	22.7	6.1	3.5	–	–	–	0.2	2.9	$2.52T
2002 Q4	64.9	22.9	5.6	3.7	–	–	–	0.4	2.5	$2.42T
2002 Q3	66.7	21.2	5.8	3.6	–	–	–	0.3	2.5	$2.32T
2002 Q2	67.8	20.1	6.2	3.3	–	–	–	0.3	2.4	$2.25T
2002 Q1	70.5	19.0	4.7	3.3	–	–	–	0.3	2.2	$2.09T
2001 Q4	70.8	18.4	5.4	3.1	–	–	–	0.2	2.1	$2.06T
2001 Q3	70.8	18.0	5.7	3.1	–	–	–	0.3	2.2	$2.04T
2001 Q2	71.4	17.2	5.8	3.1	–	–	–	0.3	2.3	$1.94T
2001 Q1	70.7	17.2	5.9	3.4	–	–	–	0.3	2.5	$1.93T
2000 Q4	69.7	17.5	6.6	3.4	–	–	–	0.3	2.4	$1.93T
2000 Q3	70.6	16.4	7.1	3.3	–	–	–	0.2	2.3	$1.87T
2000 Q2	70.7	16.8	6.8	3.3	–	–	–	0.2	2.2	$1.85T
2000 Q1	70.8	16.5	6.0	3.8	–	–	–	0.3	2.6	$1.80T

Shares in percent of reserves whose currency is known or estimated by the IMF; total in trillions of U.S. dollars.

05Before the Euro

The euro replaced the Deutsche mark, French franc, Dutch guilder and the European Currency Unit (ECU) in 1999. In the years before, the dollar's share was rising fast, from 59.0% at the end of 1995 to 69.3% at the end of 1998, with the mark the main alternative. In 1999, the euro's first year, the dollar's share reached 71.0% by 1999 Q4.

These early figures are not directly comparable with the rest of the page. Before 2000 the shares cover only reserves whose currency was reported to the IMF; in 1999 up to 22.8% of reserves were left out as unallocated. The IMF's revised series, which also estimates the unreported part, starts in 2000 Q1, so the charts and tables above start there. The CSV downloads include 1999 for completeness.

End of year	Dollar	Mark	Franc	Guilder	ECU	Yen	Pound	Other
1995	59.0%	15.8%	2.4%	0.3%	8.5%	6.8%	2.1%	5.2%
1996	62.0%	14.7%	1.9%	0.2%	7.1%	6.7%	2.7%	4.8%
1997	65.1%	14.5%	1.4%	0.4%	6.1%	5.8%	2.6%	4.2%
1998	69.3%	13.8%	1.6%	0.3%	1.3%	6.2%	2.7%	4.8%

06How to Read These Numbers

Exchange rates move the shares. The IMF values every holding in U.S. dollars. When the dollar strengthens, holdings of euros, yen and pounds are worth fewer dollars, so the dollar's share rises even if no central bank buys a single dollar. A quarter-to-quarter change of a point or so is often currency moves rather than central banks changing their minds; the long trend is the better guide.

Every reserve is now counted. Some central banks do not tell the IMF which currencies they hold. Until 2025 the IMF left those reserves out of the shares as “unallocated”. With its December 2025 release it began estimating their currencies too, and revised the series back to 2000, so the shares now cover all reserves. The IMF says the revised shares closely follow the old ones. In 2026 Q2, 10.6% of reserves were estimated this way.

Reserves are not the same as use. These are the currencies central banks hold, not the currencies used in trade, payments or debt. Gold is not included, and the IMF does not publish any country's own holdings.

07Frequently Asked Questions

What share of world reserves is held in U.S. dollars?

At the end of the second quarter of 2026, 56.7% of the world's official foreign exchange reserves were held in U.S. dollars, about $7.49 trillion of $13.22 trillion, according to the IMF's COFER data. The euro was second at 20.6%.

Is the dollar losing its reserve currency status?

Its share has been falling slowly, not collapsing. Since 2000, when the IMF's comparable series begins, the dollar's share was highest at 71.4% in 2001 Q2 and was 56.7% in 2026 Q2, still about 2.8 times the euro's share. Most of the dollar's lost share was made up by smaller currencies, the Canadian and Australian dollars and the currencies the IMF groups as other, rather than by the euro or the yuan. In dollar terms the amount held in dollars has kept growing, because total reserves have grown.

How much of world reserves are in Chinese yuan?

The yuan made up 2.11% of world reserves in 2026 Q2, against a high of 2.85% in 2021 Q4. The IMF has reported the yuan separately since 2016 Q4, the quarter it joined the basket behind the IMF's own reserve asset, the SDR.

Why does the dollar's share move from quarter to quarter?

Partly because central banks buy and sell, but often just because exchange rates move. The IMF reports every holding in U.S. dollars, so when the dollar strengthens, euro, yen and pound holdings are worth fewer dollars and the dollar's share rises without anyone buying a dollar. When the dollar weakens, the reverse happens.

Do these figures include gold?

No. COFER covers foreign exchange reserves only: currency, deposits and securities in foreign currencies. Gold, SDR holdings and reserve positions at the IMF are counted in total reserves elsewhere, but not here.

Where does this data come from?

From the IMF's Currency Composition of Official Foreign Exchange Reserves (COFER) dataset, built from confidential reports by central banks and monetary authorities. The IMF publishes only world totals, not country holdings. This page reads the IMF's data service every week and updates when a new quarter is posted.

08Sources and Downloads

International Monetary Fund: Currency Composition of Official Foreign Exchange Reserves (COFER), last updated by the IMF on September 30, 2026
International Monetary Fund: Improving the Analytical Usefulness of the IMF's COFER Data (2025)

Downloads: every quarter, shares by currency (CSV) · every quarter, amounts by currency in $ billions (CSV). The figures are the IMF's; if you reuse them, cite the IMF COFER dataset, and a link to this page is appreciated. Related: Sanctions Tracker · Foreign-Owned U.S. Farmland Map · Travel Advisory Tracker.

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Source data: International Monetary Fund (Currency Composition of Official Foreign Exchange Reserves, COFER). Updates: Quarterly. Page last updated November 7, 2026. How we build our data pages.